Pets At Their Peak

A Vet Who Makes House Calls Examines Issues On Cats, Dogs And Health

Patients of Dr. Stephen Tobin never have to worry about crowded waiting rooms. The Meriden, Conn., veterinarian prefers to travel to the homes of ailing dogs, cats and other pets.

Examining animals in their home environment, Tobin says, not only gives him a better picture of their physical health, but also helps him to spot medical problems not easily detected in an office.

Tobin says he takes into account several factors when diagnosing pets, including their medical history, behavior, diet and the health of their owners.

Tobin, who grew up in Los Angeles, received his bachelor`s degree in biochemistry from Cornell University in 1969 and a master`s in secondary science education in 1978 at the State University of New York at Cortland. He completed his doctorate in veterinary medicine at the University of Munich in 1987.

In an interview at his home in Meriden, Tobin talked about dog and cat behavior and general health care for pets. Here are some excerpts from the conversation:

Q-Why did you decide to become a traveling veterinarian?

A-I don`t really need an office. To give an animal a physical examination, all you need is a light, a stethoscope and a table. I don`t need an X-ray machine. If I see an animal I suspect has something broken, I`ll send it to a veterinary hospital or clinic. I don`t generally do surgery unless it`s something minor like neutering a cat, and that I can do in someone`s kitchen. If a procedure needs to be done that requires sterile conditions, I`ll send the animal to a hospital.

Q-Do you have a specialty?

A-I treat mostly chronic diseases, such as epilepsy, feline leukemia, rheumatism, arthritis and behavior problems, things that other vets don`t have much success with. I take a holistic approach to veterinary medicine. I treat the symptoms, not the disease.

Q-For example?

A-Say someone gives me a call because her dog is having a hard time walking, and he has already been diagnosed with hip dysplasia. That doesn`t mean that I`m going to give the dog the standard medicine for hip dysplasia. I`m going to treat the dog according to his individual medical profile.

When I take the dog`s medical history, I`m interested in his diet, his likes and dislikes, how he feels in warm or cold weather, how he relates to his owner, to other dogs, etc. I look at the animal`s behavioral patterns as well as his physical problems. Then I decide on a treatment that best suits that particular animal.

Q-What are the advantages of examining animals in their home surroundings?

A-When you try to get a cat to a vet`s office, you really have to struggle. Cats are extremely conservative animals, and they don`t like any kind of change. They usually make a big fuss if you try to put them in a car, and then once you get them to a vet`s office, they really fuss, because cats are basically loners, they don`t like to be around other animals. Plus, cats hate being out of their environment.

But if it`s in their own home, it`s different. I may be someone who is new to them, but it`s not the same type of threatening situation.

You take a dog to a vet`s office, and the response is to head for the door. All of these other dogs are around, and it can get pretty intimidating. In their own environment, dogs are usually OK, as long as the owner is there. Q-Is it hard on a dog or cat to be left alone all day?

A-It`s hard on dogs, because they`re social animals. Their ancestors and relatives live in packs. So having more than one dog would be best, because they love the companionship. However, if you can`t do that, you can put the dog in a crate when you`re not there, and they`ll feel more secure. Take wolves or coyotes, for instance. When the parents are out hunting, they leave the pups in a small enclosed area of the den that`s very confined. But when dogs are in an open space all alone and unprotected, then they`re going to feel unsure and insecure.

Cats, being loners, don`t want other cats around. In fact, they are the only domestic animals that are loners. A lot of people think that because they`re off working during the day they should get a companion for their cat so it won`t be lonely. But a cat sees another cat as someone invading his territory.

Sometimes two cats will get along fine, especially if they are from the same litter and have grown up together. But sometimes, when you have two cats together, you might find that even though they are getting along, one of them may be urinating around the house to show that he or she is dominant. If someone really wants a companion for a cat, though, you can avoid all those problems by getting the cat a dog.

The cat can ignore a dog; cats can ignore anything but another cat. The dog loves it, because it`s another living thing there. It`s not alone.